Rosmarinus officinalis.

Varieties

There are three varieties - the green, golden-striped, and silver-striped. The first is in general cultivation.

Soil And Situation

It thrives best on a poor light soil mixed with old mortar, or other calcareous matters. In such, or when the plants are self-raised on an old wall, they will bear our severest winters; but in a rich soil they lose much of their aromatic nature, and perish in frost. For the green variety, the situation may be open, but the other two being tender, require to be planted beneath a south wall, or in pots to be allowed the shelter of a green-house in winter.

Propagation is by cuttings and rooted slips, during any of the spring months, or by layers in the summer. But the finest plants are raised by seed, which, and by layers, is the only mode of propagating the gold and silver-striped varieties. Sow in March or early in April, in drills one inch deep and six inches apart. The rooted slips, and the cuttings of the young shoots, must be from five to seven inches long, and planted in a shady border, in rows eight or ten inches apart. Previously to being inserted, remove the leaves from the lower two-thirds of their length. Layers may be formed by cutting young branches half through on their under side, and pegging them down an inch or two below the surface; they become established plants by autumn. Water must be applied abundantly at the time of planting, and occasionally afterwards until established.

The plants require no further care than to be kept clear from weeds, and in September to be transplanted to remain, being performed, in preference, during mild showery weather; but if not removed thus early in the autumn, they are best left until the following March. They may be either grown in rows two feet apart each way, or trained in a fan form against a wall.